PRESS RELEASES

Top Picks for Kids Birthday Gifts.

Hard working Mums the nation over are making a collective sigh of relief when finding a range of gifts they can buy regularly that is perfectly suited for the large number of birthday parties their children now attend.  So define ‘perfectly suited’?  Well, it starts with products that adhere to certain criteria for those discerning and thoughtful gift givers out there. 

Firstly, the all-important price tag.  Ideally at or under the £10 price point is about right.  With households having an average of 2 children, who both attend upwards of 5 birthday parties each year, you can see how the birthday gift costs can escalate for families.  Cost always matters and never more so than during this the austerity era.   

Secondly, uniqueness is becoming more important. A toy that stands out from the plastic and battery operated crowd will score those clever Mums and Dads extra brownie points in the eyes of the recipient’s parent.  For some competitive social climbers, being a thoughtful and considered gift giver can pay dividends in what might be an overall plan to curry favour.   

Thirdly a toy with longevity and usefulness.  With the growing awareness around avoiding being part of the throw away culture, a toy that lasts the distance and can offer a child the combination of fun and functionality is more likely to be a welcome addition to many households. 

So, does such a range of toys with such a combination of factors actually exist? Indeed it does.  The Intelex Group have created a collection of quality heatable toys and unique products that fits the above criteria!  Following the successful world-wide launch of their original and revolutionary Hot Pak® in 1995, the company went on to expand their heatable technology into dozens of wonderful plush toy and knitted product extensions to the delight of many retailers who have seen the products fly off the shelves.  From the wildly popular Cozy Plush™ range of irresistible soft toys all fully heatable in the microwave, to the best-selling Beddy Bear™ range, the Intelex warmable toys have become little people all-time favourite bed companions.   

Over the last year, Intelex have introduced the likes of Hooty™ Owls and the Socky Dolls™ characters retailing for £9.95.  The extension of their warmable range into licensed products include well known characters like Bagpuss®, creating fully heatable Bagpuss® toys, slippers, boots and neck wraps, not to mention Bagpuss® himself!  Along with Shaun the Sheep™ neck warmers and the adorable Gromit™ who is filled with treated millet and gently scented with lavender and after only two minutes in the microwave becomes extra snuggable and a wonderful bed-time companion for little boys and girls. 

Parents on the look-out for unique birthday gifts can find Intelex products at all reputable retailers or they can browse and shop online by visiting the Intelex website, where they’ll find the full range of Intelex’s heatable toys along with inexpensive and speedy delivery for those last minute purchases. 

Retailers Keen for New Knitted Warmers™ Range

If you’re one of our regular customers or just recently opened up a trade account, you’ll quickly learn we don’t mind a bit of product innovation here at the Intelex HQ in Wellingborough. We keep a watchful eye on up and coming trends, we listen carefully to feedback from you and we’re known in the industry for acting fast to bring to market exciting new product ranges that are priced sensibly, with plenty of margin to keep you demanding retailers happy.  Oh, and we know a thing or two about making products that will be popular with consumers.  We hope our unique and new warmable toy ranges are helping to keep your shelves looking fresh and keeping your shoppers interested. 

If you didn’t get a sneak preview of our Knitted Warmer™ range at Spring Fair, we’re keen to pass on the news that we’ve had pretty much a unanimous reaction from both multinational and independent retailers.  Our new little knitted warmers have received some terrific feedback, of which we have been delighted to hear and many of our retailers are now starting to place pre-orders now for their autumn and winter ranges.  The new collection is already in production, featuring a cute little Cow, an elegant Elephant, a pretty Pig and a perky Puppy, all created with our proprietary Hot-Pak® technology, meaning the entire toy can be safely warmed in the microwave, after which you can snuggle into your little warmer whilst enjoying the gentle scent of relaxing lavender…ooh, that’s making me feel sle……zzzz 

Ahem! Now, the arts and crafts movement has had a lasting influence on all manner of products across the UK.  The appeal for craft led, knitted products continue to be strong. It seems retailers can’t get enough of knitted things and not that we are biased or anything of course, but we think our adorable range of Knitted Warmers™ will be a winner in 2013 contributed in part with our exacting standards of safety and the quality fabrics and finish offers consumers serious value, especially at a retail price point of £11.95.  Enabling plenty of room for retailers to make upwards of 45% margins. But apart from that, there’s nothing too serious about these little charmers, they are a bundle of fun, especially coming into their own at bedtime! 

Speaking of one who is also able to combine fun with seriousness, our trusty Sales Director, Darren Ingram, has a little to add regarding the collection. ‘We’re expecting to see a lot of interest in the new Knitted Warmers™, and it won’t be long until we make them available to buy online. They’re really a response to the noticeable consumer trend toward knitted goods and we think they are very competitively priced within the knitted product niche. The intended RRP of £11.95 makes them a really accessible purchase for consumers and we predict they are going to fly off the shelves.’

Interested retailers are more than welcome to come along to see the new Knitted Warmers™ range at the Harrogate Trade Fair in July, or contact us at 01933 679 777 to chat with the team at Intelex. If you’re super-excited for the new collection and simply can’t wait, don’t forget you can place pre-orders now to secure first orders.  

Bellamy and Curtis Make Their Debut!

We’re always pleased to see a product really hit it off with retailers and consumers alike. Intelex’s heated products have meant a lot of things to a lot of people, from young children (aged 3+) older kids to couples and grandparents, always serving as a quirky and comforting toy, or a cute alternative to hot water bottles. Our retailers have helped deliver our products to folks all over the UK, and have helped us achieve the success to date of Socky Dolls™ since their introduction in July 2012.

Darren Ingram, Sales Director at Intelex says.  “It’s on the back of the popularity of Socky Dolls™ along with feedback from our trade customers that have helped us create the two new characters that we are currently pre-selling as part of our autumn and winter 2013 collections and will showcase at the Harrogate Trade Fair.” 

Bellamy the Bear and Curtis the Cat are great additions to the existing range, and we fully expect consumers to continue responding to their quirky charms throughout 2013. You can find them in our coming soon category on our website if you’re interested in a closer look be sure to visit the Intelex trade stand at the Harrogate show from 14^th-17^th July (Hall B Stand 4), where we’ll be officially launching the expanded Socky Dolls™ family. 

The warmable product category has experienced great growth over the last 5 years, contributed largely from regular new innovations that are extending the range into licensed products, along with ragdolls, plush toys, teddies, boots, slippers and neck-wraps to name a few.  Whilst the warmable product ranges obviously hit their peak during the colder months, the versatility of products like Socky Dolls™ and Hooty™ are showing appeal as collectable toys and impulse fashion buys, making them perennial favourites all year round. 

Hopefully, you’re as excited about the new ‘lone sock range’ (did you see what we did there…slightly tenuous, perhaps?) as we are, we’d love to see you at Harrogate in July when Bellamy and Curtis make their debut. If you’ve got any queries about the new characters, setting up a pre-season order or just general information then please get in touch with us. Speak to the friendly team at Intelex, Monday to Friday on 01933 679 777.

The New Hooty™ Floral Range Available July 2013 

At the moment it seems like Hooty™ is at the centre of an extremely pleasant storm. The consumer trend towards owl merchandise started around late 2009 moving into 2010, and it shows no signs of abating. People are buying them for everything from rugs, clothes, jewellery and bags, and it’s a popular trend that appeals to both younger and more mature audiences.

If you’re used to shopping with Intelex, you might have some experience with our Hooty™ range. They’ve been picking up momentum since their launch in July 2012, and if the frequency retailers have been placing orders is any indication, we’re expecting them to be in our top most popular sellers for 2013. 

To keep up with demand and keep our product ranges fresh,  our new product development team have created the rather wonderful new Hooty™ floral range, even if we do say so ourselves!  While the owl trend is still going strong, there’s a lot of related interest in retro-styled accessories, with a quirky home crafted feel to them.  Built like little pillows to snuggle into, with bright and delicate floral textures marking out wings and a multi-coloured breast, a subtle lavender aroma is produced on warming the toy owl in the microwave for less than two minutes.  All of which makes for a relaxing little bed companion, a far hoot from those rubber water bottles filled with scalding hot water!

This expands their appeal considerably. They’re still a huggable bedtime companion for younger children aged three and above, but with the on-trend owl theme and the fact that they are warmable makes them also suited to a more mature audience including teenagers and adults. River Island and New Look are just two retailers targeted at the teen+ market currently stocking Hooty™ proving the versatility of these wonderful little nocturnal niceties. 

But speaking of Hooty™, we’d be amiss not to mention the newest addition to the heatable owl collection, the simply adorable Hooty™ Snowy. This little white fellow is super cute and another 2013 newcomer expanding the Hooty™ family and we’ve had incredibly favourable feedback for Snowy from some of our retailers who have seen the product in our coming soon category. 

Everything mentioned here will be available come July and will be showcased at the Harrogate Trade Fair 14-17^th July 2013, so contact a member of our sales team with any questions or queries about the new product lines, or setting up a pre-order. If you haven’t yet got a trade account set up with Intelex, it’s easy to register for a trade account and we will approve your application within 24 hours. We’ve got dozens of popular best-selling products for you to explore, at trade prices that offer 50% margins on average.  We just know your customers will love them. 

Cozy Plush™ Warmable Range Still Number One.

If you’re visiting this blog, there’s a good chance you’re already well acquainted with or stocking our wide range of Cozy Plush™ stuffed animals. They’re one of Intelex’s flagship products utilising our Hot-Pak® technology, and an incredibly large number of retailers are making the most of them to help maximise sales and satisfy consumers.

The range is enjoying huge uptake at the moment, with consumers able to buy from dozens of different locations online. FindMeAGift.co.uk are doing well with their collection of Cozy Plush™ products, and consumers can buy from other specialist stores, including HeatTreats, and HotWaterBottleShop.co.uk, or find the Juniors’ range on GettingPersonal.co.uk. We’re proud to see our products adopted by more specialist stores, such as ExpressChemist.co.uk, drawing attention to the positive ways heatable toys can provide comfort and warmth.

Our Cozy Plush™ range comes in three distinct flavours, depending on exactly who you’re looking to market towards. The most popular line is the standard one, featuring a wide variety of models from any number of habitats, from household pets to jungle and farmyard animals. warmed in the microwave for less than two minutes, these lavender scented toys go down great with children and adults alike.  

The ‘Junior’ branded products are targeted more towards younger children, aged 3+. Many of the models are the same, though are a good deal smaller and lighter to better benefit  toddlers. On the other end of the scale we have the Cozy Plush™ premium range, featuring larger, luxury soft toys in the form of a puppy, cat, elephant and rabbit. They’re a great treat for slightly older children, and make for popular gifts among romantic couples.

If you’re interested in expanding your existing stock of Intelex products, or haven’t had the chance to sell them yet, feel free to contact us to discuss. They’re proving extremely successful among retailers large and small, having sold over 10 million since launch.  

Hootys™ Owls Continue to Fly Off the Shelves

Hooty™ owls are becoming a firm staple on many retailers’ shelves since July 2012. They’ve been proving incredibly popular in recent months among all manner of retailers, with Lakeland, Debenhams and New Look all jumping on board. With an accessible RRP of £9.95, they’ve been taking off in a big way among consumers and retailers alike. 

Of course, if you’re stocking them then you’re likely aware of the owl trend, which began sweeping the nation a few years ago, showing no signs of petering out anytime soon. They’ve always been popular creatures, and feature heavily in the storybooks and tales presented to children as symbols of companionship and wisdom. Their current boom could be traced back to around 2009. Owls were a steady theme in the Marc Jacobs Fall collection, and homemade accessory store Etsy.com began to see a huge influx of owl-related creations, which the public clearly lapped up.

It seems the owl trend is still hot and very much set to continue throughout 2013.  Intelex are continuing to maintain stock levels of their existing Hooty™ range to keep up with demand and are set to expand the Hooty™ family with three gorgeous new designs in beautiful, colourful fabrics and patterns, all of which will be available to buy from Intelex in June 2013.

Intelex Welcome Boofle Bears to their Portfolio

We’re sure many are familiar with Boofle Bears®, the notably adorable and popular sentimental gifts. Until a few years ago they were in an exclusivity agreement with Clinton Cards, though with the troubles that retailer suffered and Boofle under new management, Boofle products are now open to be sold in retailers across the nation! 

This has been particularly good news for Intelex who have just recently entered into a three year licensing agreement with DRi licensing, and in the next few months you can expect to see some Boofle products showing off the heating technology pioneered with Hot-Pak™ in 1995. Each Boofle Bear® manufactured by Intelex will be fully heatable, while both meeting and exceeding international safety standards for toys and heatable products.

If you’re waiting to get your hands on the new range, you can expect to see them launch around July 2013. Intelex will start taking pre-orders immediately and they’ll carry an RRP of £19.95, in line with the pricing strategy on the rest of the licensed collection.

Darren Ingram, Sales Director at Intelex says, “We’re proud about having the opportunity to get involved in expanding the Boofle brand, and we’re sure our proprietary heating technology will be an excellent fit for the already-popular toys. They’ve always sold well as sentimental toys and gifts for infants, children and adults alike. Now welcomed into our portfolio of warming toys and accessories, we’re certain they’ll be a great addition to our portfolio and welcomed by retailers.”

Any questions or queries about the new range of Boofle Bears® being manufactured by Intelex. Please get in touch with us on 01933 679 777. 

Trust your Toys with Intelex 

It’s fair to think of toys as a fun and frivolous product. They’re expressly created to transform the world into a slightly more interesting and exciting place. Yet it’s important to remember there’s always an implied and stated responsibility for toy manufacturers to produce products which not only entertain, but do so while upholding the best possible safety practices.

Putting a conscious effort into regulating the safety of toys is a relatively recent development, however. The US first published an industry safety standard in 1976, though had first experimented with banning hazardous products in 1970. The rest of the world began creating comprehensive safety regulations in the late 1980s, with the European Union’s ‘EN 71’ directive influencing the majority of international safety policy to this day. 

Representing the largest supplier of microwaveable heated toys, Intelex don’t simply work to meet safety regulations, but strive to exceed them and lead the way for other suppliers. From their traditional ‘Hot-Paks’ introduced in 1997 to the extensive range of microwaveable plush dolls currently available, Intelex easily overshoot the British, European and American toy safety standards for the physical properties and flammability of their products. 

The company is proud to be a trend-setter in terms of safety, with the CEO serving as an expert member on the committee which originally outlined safety directives for personal warmers, currently British policy. 

Over the past 40 years, safety standards have come to be recognised as an inescapably important part of the toy manufacturing industry, and rightly so. With Intelex, safety is more than an external regulation to be adhered to. It’s been a central tenet of their business practise since Day 1, and one they’ll continue to uphold through a range of trustworthy and reliable products.

How Knitted Toys Have Evolved Through History Until Present Day.

According to dedicated knitting historian Jean Greenhowe.com, knitted toys made their first appearance in knitting books as early as 1930.  The scarcity of knitting patterns for toys versus the massive selection of patterns available on the market for clothing, hot water bottles, tea cosies and table mats showed that knitted items were mainly produced for functional purposes.

It wasn’t until the 50s and 60s when knitting magazines in an effort to help readers use up wool odds and ends started to produce small patterns for dolls and toys.  It seems these early patterns were copied from Victorian patterns for Ragdolls, as knitting creators struggled to find how the three dimensional aspect of a knitted toys is brought to life.

It wasn’t until the 80s that serious knitters began concentrating on producing quality knitted toys, which came about through much experimentation with techniques including changing knitting needle sizes.

Now in the 21^st century, all manner of knitting books for a huge array of knitted toys is available on the market today for home knitters to produce themselves.  With the rise of the make do and mend trend coming of age with celebrities involved in helping promote the simpler pleasures in life and ways for one to enjoy themselves, from around 2010, there has been a mad craze for knitted items and home-made crafts and a love of all things knitted.  Kirsty Alsop’s home crafts Television program on Channel 4 has been hugely popular across the UK and internationally and helped grow awareness for associations like the Woman’s Institute.

For those people who don’t have the time to knit themselves, there is a wonderful selection of knitted clothing, particularly for children and quality knitted toys available across many retailers and online stores.  Darren Ingram from the Intelex Group, manufacturers of heatable products like Hot Pak® and the fully warmable ranges of Candy Warmhearts Ragdolls® and Hooty™ owls is excited about the launch of their new Knitted Hotties range.  “It’s our first foray into the knitted toy segment and we’ve applied all the usual Intelex values that have proved a successful formula in the past; high quality, functionality, accessible price points and wide ranging appeal to our exciting new range of Knitted Hotties, which are fully heatable and make a perfect modern-day hot water bottle.”

Intelex Knitted Hotties were unveiled at the February 2013 Spring Fair, retailing for £9.95, the delightful range of Knitted Hotties from Intelex will be available to order in summer 2013.  

Find Great Winter Warmers at Intelex.

The debate mentioned by Chris Evans on BBC radio 2 this morning saw the Met Office pitched against Google with claims that Spring officially starts late March according to Google, with the Met Office saying Spring begins 1^st March.  Who is correct?  What we know for sure though, there is little sign of Spring in the air at the moment! The persisting cold weather is stubbornly remaining across the UK and retailers are continuing to keep their shelves replenished with all manner of winter warmers.  Sales of candles, bedding, throws, heaters, home decorations and warmable products that will keep consumers warm and take off the chill continue to be advertised and are selling well. 

The category of Winter Warmers per se is one that has grown and extended enormously over the last five years, as consumer demand has proven a desire for; convenience in terms of the way the products are warmed and; the novelty fun factor, which has extended the heatable category into all manner of innovative products and most particularly the toy category. 

Take for example Intelex’s Bagpuss® Booties, a perfect example of a fun, but functional product that appeals to a wide audience.  The adults who remember and love the original Bagpuss series.  The fashion led teenagers who buy cute gifts on impulse in stores like Topshop, and younger children who just lovely soft and cuddly, bright and colourful toys, that can also warm their beds on a cold chilly evening.

The Intelex Group are pioneering advances across the warmable product genre and continue to extend the category further every year with exciting new ranges that are in line with Intelex’s ethos to bring to market functional products that can be used as a safe and convenient replacement hot water bottle for adults and children for example and also offer soothing relief to tired and stressed muscles.   

Intelex’s strong sales across their fully microwavable range are testament to the on-going demand from retailers and consumers for fun, functional and warmable products that are being stocked and sold across garden centres, pharmacies, gift shops and department stores.

To open a trade account with Intelex, register online today to access trade prices and free delivery on orders over £150.  Trade accounts will be activated in less than 24 hours following account approval. 

Intelex Showcase Their Upcoming New Range of Knitted Hotties.

At this year’s Spring Fair at the Birmingham NEC, the Intelex Group exhibited their extensive range of heatable toys and products, revealing an exciting new range of Knitted Hotties that will be added to their impressive portfolio and launched in the summer of 2013. 

The new collection of knitted characters are inspired from Intelex’s range of quirky Socky Dolls™ launched in the summer of 2012 which have proven to be a resounding success.  The six wacky and adorable Socky Doll™ characters, created from 100% sock material and filled with lavender scented treated millet, have been created using Intelex’s experience and expertise in this highly specialised industry that enables the entire toy to be gently warmed in a microwave.  The Socky Dolls™ have proven very popular with all manner of retailers from independent gifting stores, toy shops, and high street fashion retailers like River Island and online e-tailers like Firebox.  It’s with this success story that Intelex have gone on to create a brand new, unique collection of knitted characters.

Darren Ingram, Sales Director at Intelex comments; “Our Knitted Hotties are capitalising on the trend for craft-led, knitted characters.  We’ve created six animal themed toys, which consist of those animals which we’ve experienced to be the most in demand with consumers; a cow, cat, lion, elephant, piggy and a puppy, all created with colourful striped and patterned knitted materials to give a unique personality, with a heart placed on each animal’s knitted jumper.  The range is targeted at younger children aged from 3+ who will just love the soft cuddly texture and animal theme.  Older children will appreciate the fact the entire toy can be gently warmed in the microwave and used to snuggle in bed with on chilly evenings.  We’ve kept the price point accessible, retailing for an RRP of £9.95 and retailers can expect to place pre-orders now with delivery expected from June 2013.” 

To find out more about Intelex Knitted Hotties, please visit the Intelex website on www.intelex.co.uk or call the Intelex sales team on 01933 679 777.  Trade customers can arrange a visit to the Intelex showroom in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire.   

Intelex Unveil its New Range of Hooty™ for Summer 2013

Building on the outstanding success of their Hooty™ range of heatable owls launched  in July 2012, the Intelex Group have announced at this year’s Spring Fair at the Birmingham NEC, their intention to roll-out up to 8 beautiful new colourful designs in their Hooty™ range, which will be available in Summer 2013.

The original Hooty™ collection of 6 adorable characters gained immediate popularity with retailers because of their wide ranging appeal to both young children and young adults alike, particularly in the fashion industry which has seen an on-going trend for all things owl-related.  Hootys™ found their way into the likes of New Look and Cargo home-stores showing their versatility.  Filled with treated millet and subtly scented with lavender, in only 90 second gently warmed in a microwave, the Hooty™ becomes a fashionable alternative to a hot water bottle.  Retailing for under £10, the Hooty™ be it a children’s toy, a fashion accessory or a warming bed companion gives consumers serious quality and real value at an attractive and accessible price point.

Darren Ingram, Sales Director at Intelex says; “We’ve seen an extraordinary demand for Hooty™ particularly in the run-up to Christmas and feedback from our retail customers has been unanimous.  Consumers of all ages just love Hooty™.  Building on the popularity since launch, we’ve created some new varieties of Hooty™ in some eye-catching and colourful patterns including gingham and some retro style fabrics.   Our customers have told us at Spring Fair they love the new designs and very much looking forward to stocking them from July 2013.” 

Whilst the owl trend reigned supreme during 2012 from the fashion catwalks to accessories and stationary, there seems to be no sign of the owl trend waning, in fact it seems owls are firmly entrenched on retailers’ shelves; certainly they have become animal characters that are firm favourites here to stay.  If you’re interested in sourcing the original collection of  Hooty™ at competitive trade prices, register online for an Intelex Trade Account today; simply visit www.intelex.co.uk.  To find out more about the new Hooty™ collection for 2013, contact the Intelex Sales team on 01933 679 777 or arrange a visit to the Intelex showroom in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire.

Intelex Report Sales of Hotties Soar During Big Freeze

With the UK currently experiencing big snow falls and freezing temperatures, sales of warmable products that can be conveniently heated in the microwave are soaring.  The Intelex Group, creators of the original Hot Pak® are seeing sales increase across their product range of heatable body range Hot Paks®, including their warmable toys  which is aimed towards children from the age of 3 and above.

The heatable product category is providing a popular alternative to the traditional hot water bottle.  Convenient and fuss free, an Intelex Hot Pak® bottle can be gently warmed in the microwave and in less than two minutes, offers the user a quick and fuss free lavender scented alternative to a hot water bottle for warming beds or placing on tired and aching muscles.  With the last decade seeing huge innovation across the heatable product category, with the original Hot Pak® technology being extended to include fully microwavable neck wraps, booties and slippers, in a choice of vintage inspired fabrics or for some serious fun, there is Bagpuss® booties and Shaun the Sheep® neck wraps to choose from.  It is this innovation in exciting new products, combined with the convenience and hassle free alternative that is inspiring consumers to buy into the heatable product ranges.

Hannah Jones who works in the marketing team at Intelex comments …” The cold snap has created even further demand for our products.  We are seeing particularly good sales across our heatable toys, like the Hooty™ owls and Socky Dolls™ which are being taken on by fashion retailers like New Look and River Island and in homeware retailers like Cargo and Lakeland.  Many mums are into buying these heatable toys for their children, because after only 90 seconds in the microwave, the toys can be tucked inside coats for on wintry walks to school in the morning.  Not only are they functional products, they are fun too, and that’s why kids and adults alike love them.”

Intelex products can be found in all good high street and online retailers, from department stores, to toy shops, pharmacies, garden centres and independent gift stores.  For retailers wishing to access Intelex’s product portfolio at trade prices, bona fide trade customers registrations will be processed and approved within 24 hours, giving you the ability to shop and buy in bulk online 24/7.  Access competitive trade prices and register for a trade account today.

Intelex Customers Report 2012  

Whilst there is worrying news of more casualties on the high street that have included Block-Buster, HMV , Comet and Jessops, there is also good news stories emerging of high street and online retail businesses who are reporting successes from 2012 and talking optimistically about 2013.  Many businesses who worked hard in 2012 to run lean businesses, embrace the online opportunity and innovate their product offering were able to show growth. 

Darren Ingram, Sales Director at Intelex provided some insights on 2012’s year of trading from his customer base.  “We’ve heard a common theme for 2012 from our retail customers.  Whilst most commented on a reasonable year of sales with sectors like toys and homeware showing single digit growth, we have however heard regularly about the rise in online internet shopping which has had a substantial impact on businesses.   Getting consumers onto the high street and through the shop doors remains a consistent challenge and led to some extra periods of discounting throughout the year.  Our retail buyers tell us they are constantly on the look-out for sourcing innovative and unique new products that will be positioned at an affordable price point for impulse purchase and enhance their existing product range.  It is these kinds of insights that continue to fuel the new product development pipeline at Intelex and we have some exciting NPD, including a new licensed product that we can’t wait to unveil at this year’s Spring Fair, starting on the 2^nd February.  Looking forward to this year, overall we are hearing our customers talk optimistically about 2013.“ 

What is clear, those high street businesses who are evolving their retail offering and integrating it with the ecommerce and mobile opportunity will stand the greatest chance of success in 2013.  Intelex will continue to support their new and existing customers by regularly bringing to market desirable and innovative new ranges that extend into new categories, that give retailers excellent margin opportunities and products that will fly off their shelves all year round.

To become an Intelex trade customer, please register online at http://www.intelex.co.uk/customer/account/create/.  Once approved, your business account will be activated within 24 hours, allowing you access to Intelex’s trade prices, with the ability to order online for next day despatch.

See What Intelex Has in Store at This Year’s Spring Fair 2013.

The Northamptonshire based Intelex Group is looking forward optimistically to 2013, following strong growth over 2012, driven largely from the continued success of their core product ranges including Cozy Plush™ and Hot Pak® and the introduction over the summer of their exciting new heatable toy ranges including Socky Dolls™, Candy Warmhearts® and Hooty™ along with innovations in the non-heatable toy products, including the versatile Trolli™ range of travel accessories for children.  With Spring Fair 2013 rapidly approaching on 3-7^th February, Intelex are looking forward to showcasing their successful product ranges at Europe’s leading home and gift trade fair. 

Darren Ingram, Sales Director at The Intelex Group says; “The trade fairs represent a fantastic opportunity for manufacturers like us to present our product portfolio and share the success stories of our newly launched product ranges.  The Spring Fair has always been an excellent opportunity to open up new business channels, connecting with both existing and potential new trade customers.  We have had a busy year in 2012 launching 9 new ranges and a total of 87 new SKUs and with over 4-6 months trading history on our most recent innovations like Socky Dolls™ and Hooty™ owls, we are now in a position to share the early growth patterns of these new products, giving our Spring Fair visitors the reassurance to place orders with confidence.” 

Intelex currently supply over 1,000 UK customers, from garden centres to pharmacies and large high street retailers like Cargo to department stores like Debenhams.  The demand for heatable products particularly over the colder seasons is showing strong year on year growth, which is fuelled by the rapid innovation in warmable products which is extending the category.  The Intelex innovation pipeline continues to work hard to offer retailers on-trend products and ranges which have proven appeal across a wide age range, with the likes of Socky™ and Hooty™ owls being stocked and selling well in fashion retailers like River Island and New Look, indicating the versatility of Intelex’s warmable product ranges.

This years’ Spring Fair will see Intelex showcasing the recently launched Gromit™ and Shaun the Sheep™ warmable soft toys along with firm favourites like the Bagpuss® cuddly characters and heatable boots and slippers from their licensed ranges.  Buyers can also expect to see the 2012 innovations of the wacky Socky Dolls™,  the must-have kids travel accessory;Trolli™, the adorable Warmhearts® Rag Dolls, the on-trend Hooty™ owls and the vintage inspired Hot Pak® body range, which have all proven to be strong sellers over the 2012 Christmas trading period.   With perennial favourites like Pillowheads®, Dusty Pups™ and the best-selling Cozy Plush™ on show, buyers can expect to experience the quality of the Intelex portfolio up close and personal and hear directly from the Intelex team what is in store for 2013.

Visit Intelex at this year’s Spring Fair at Hall 5 G10/H11.  To book an appointment at the Spring Fair with one of the Intelex team, please phone 01933 679 777.  To register for an Intelex online trade account please go to http://www.intelex.co.uk/customer/account/create/.

Will The Boxing Day Sales Become An Out-dated Phenomenon?

With the high street awash with pre-Christmas sales and the Black Friday and Cyber Monday events driving high volumes of internet sales in the run up to Christmas, many in the retail sector are questioning whether the concept of the Boxing Day sales will become an out of date practise.  What is clear with the rise in mobile and internet shopping and the prevalence of stores discounting in November and December, is the high street retail landscape changing or more a short-term knee jerk reaction to poor performance and online competition?  

High streets are working harder to attract shoppers, with extended opening hours,  increased parking spaces, refurbished shopping centres, improved focuses on dining options and offering an experience and a destination for an entire day out in order to tempt people from their sofas and the convenience of shopping online.   

Red hot bargains normally reserved for the Boxing Day and January sales seem to be available at many high street stores and the discounting seems to be deeper and available across more product categories than ever before.   Whilst it’s most likely the general public will be expecting heavy discounting on Boxing Day and into the New Year, the pre-Christmas December sales will most certainly have brought forward the shopping habits of many.  If retailers achieve good sales pre-Christmas, this may mean less stock on shelves to feature in the usual January discounting period and possibly less reliance on the New Year sales to achieve targets.   

What will your sales strategy be post-Christmas?  We’d be interested to hear your comments, please write to us at sales@intelex.co.uk

Socky Dolls feature in the Firebox 100.

Successful online retailer Firebox have established a reputation for selling original and unique gifts, from gadgets, toys and games and other on trend items,  that according to their website undergo a rigorous selection process before being listed on their online store.  

From giant gummi bears, ghost pacman lights, postcode puzzles and VW camper van tents, Firebox’s  fascinating array of quirky gadgets and cool gift ideas gives visitors plenty of inspiration when searching for that elusive Christmas gift for those family members or friends who seemingly have it all. 

Featuring in the Firebox 100 list is none other than Intelex’s Socky Dolls™ launched in July 2012.  Retailing at £11.99, the 6 Socky characters are proving popular as a Christmas gift for both adults and children.  Whether it’s Bunty the bunny, Bandito or Mr Hootle the owl, the Socky Dolls™ offer a fun and modern alternative to the traditional hot water bottle.   With only 90 seconds in the microwave, your little Socky Doll companion is gently warmed and ready to become a perfect bed-time companion on cold wintry evenings.  The hot water bottle has received a 21^st century make-over!  To aid sleep even further, the Socky Doll, filled with treated millet and gently scented with lavender will omit a soft and soothing scent when gently warmed in the microwave.  Can one imagine a better way to drift off to sleep on a chilly evening?   

Socky Dolls™ were created by the Intelex creative team to capitalise on the popular trend for stripy sock fabrics.  This combined with Intelex’s skill in creating soft toys and products that are fully microwavable, the Socky Doll characters are a bit weird and wacky and a slight departure from Intelex’s other ranges of adorable plush toys, which is what has grabbed the attention of retailers like Firebox and River Island. 

With stocks of Socky Dolls™ selling fast during the busy Christmas trading period, Intelex are taking orders up until Wednesday 19^th December and recommending to their customers to replenish products quickly whilst stocks last.  Registering for a trade account takes minutes and your account will be approved and activated within 24 hours, providing you are a bona fide trade customer.  Delivery is free on orders over £150. 

Will Your Business Take Advantage of the Black Friday/Cyber Monday Phenomenon? 

With the world’s biggest online shopping day of the year approaching reputedly on Monday 26th November, there is much discussion around how companies are preparing to take advantage of this shopping peak.  According to Wikipedia, 77% of online retailers saw their sales increase substantially in 2011 and whilst the phenomenon was created in the US following the Thanksgiving holiday as the period when shops launch their pre-Christmas deals, the idea is now a fully-fledged marketing campaign used by many companies in the UK to target their Christmas offers from the last Friday or Monday in November.  It’s an opportunity to pre-sell Christmas stocks on the back of the Black Friday and Cyber Monday PR hype. 

There is evidence however that suggests consumers are starting their Christmas shopping earlier than ever before.  A report from “RetailMeNot” says that 39% of parents with children under the age of 18 begin their festive shopping before November.  It seems that regardless of deals and discounting and the hype around Black Friday and Cyber Monday, Christmas shoppers are starting early which is having the knock on effect of encouraging retail and online stores to stock and display their Christmas ranges as early as possible. 

However, this isn’t to say that this year the predicted shopping peaks will not be as impactful.  The online retail behemoth Amazon are advertising Black Friday Deals Week which will commence from 19^th November until 25^th  featuring lightening deals which are limited offers on Amazon’s best-selling products. Amazon is advertising and counting down to black Friday week so the build up to this online shopping event has indeed begun.  The way things are evolving is not so much Black Friday, rather a Black Friday season. 

What’s In Store For Christmas 2012? 

2012 will seemingly add new twists onto classic toys. As the world turns to digital devices and internet trends, there is an increasing pressure for existing and new toy manufacturers to add value to their product ranges in order to satisfy consumer demand.

Furby, Cabbage Patch Kids, Lego and Twister are among the top 13 Christmas toys of 2012, showing that people are not giving up on classic toys just yet. So why revolutionise old toys? With the feeling of nostalgia high, parents are looking for the toys with longevity that will keep their kids happy and are useful or educational, not just used twice then left in the attic to gather dust.  In these cash strapped times parents are looking for toys that work harder. 

Inventers of the original ‘Hot-Pak® Intelex, are no strangers when it comes to creating multifunctional products and toys.  They have regularly taken old favourites to revolutionise the cuddly toy and make it heatable. Take for example the world’s first microwavable soft toy ‘Beddy-Bear®’. Since then Intelex have gone from strength to strength and built up a diverse portfolio of fully microwavable toys and gizmos like Trolli™ that is a useful children’s wheeled suitcase that converts into a backpack.   

However, with cash strapped consumers still feeling the impact of the economic turbulence of the last few years, low end discount and high end luxury stores have gained most from hesitant spenders. Additionally the Consumer Confidence Index (CCI) dropped last month to -30 according to researchers GfK, showing that people are not yet ready to begin the spending spree. The question remains, will this year’s product  offerings and sales tactics by retailers be enough to entice consumers to spend with confidence?   

Bearing in mind, Cyber Monday, one of the biggest online shopping days of the year, is closely approaching on 26^th November. Researchers at comScore noted a $1.028 billion spend on Cyber Monday 2010 and statistics have shown that 77% of online retailers saw their sales increase substantially in 2011 due to Cyber Monday. If the same kind of growth is achieved for 2012, the consumer confidence index will soon rise.  What’s certain, a positive Christmas trading period will be good for manufacturers, retailers and the economy as a whole. 

References

Brown, A. (2012). Stocks, Trends To Know Before Christmas. Available: http://www.forbes.com/sites/abrambrown/2012/09/05/ghosts-of-christmas-future-stocks-and-trends-to-watch-before-the-holidays/. Last accessed 09/11/2012.

GfK. (2012). October sees a drop in the UK’s Consumer Confidence. Available: http://www.gfknop.com/pressinfo/releases/singlearticles/010579/index.en.html. Last accessed 09/11/2012.

Davis, E.T & Krugman, S. (2012). "Cyber Monday" Quickly Becoming One of the Biggest Online Shopping Days of the Year. Available: http://www.shop.org/c/journal_articles/view_article_content?groupId=1&articleId=623&version=1.0. Last accessed 09/11/2012.

Lipsman, A. (2011). U.S. Online Holiday Shopping Season Reaches Record $32.6 Billion for November-December Period, Up 12 Percent vs. Year Ago. Available: http://www.comscore.com/Insights/Press_Releases/2011/1/U.S._Online_Holiday_Shopping_Season_Reaches_Record_32.6_Billion_for_November_December_Period. Last accessed 09/11/2012.

Fasig, N, P. (2012). Top Toy Trends of 2012. Available: http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/product-reviews/childrens-products/toy-reviews/toy-trends-2012#slide-1. Last accessed 09/11/2012.

Williams, R. (2012). Old favourites including Lego, Twister and the Cabbage Patch Kids are set for Christmas return. Available: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/old-favourites-including-lego-twister-and-the-cabbage-patch-kids-are-set-for-christmas-return-8268854.html?origin=internalSearch. Last accessed 09/11/2012.

King, M. (2012). Christmas toys 2012: Furbys and Twister take parents back to the future. Available: http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2012/oct/31/christmas-toys-2012-furbys-twister. Last accessed 09/11/2012.

 London, B. (2012). Christmas toy sales expected to soar 72% .Available: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2221432/Christmas-2012--Toy-sales-expected-soar-72-week-parents-spending-average-312-child-says-Asda.html. Last accessed 09/11/2012.

Insights into the toy buying habits of a Leicestershire Mum.

With the plethora of toy products awash on retailers’ shelves, it’s been an interesting exercise to glean the insights into the toy buying habits of a working mother.  What is clear is that affordable prices, interesting and creative products and convenience are the key factors in the buy decision process. 

Leicestershire based, Mrs Wright, mother to little Matt four years old has discovered the Intelex product range and provides some insights into her purchasing habits.  “I feel like I am constantly shopping for those never ending children’s birthday parties.  I shop online mostly, but I also visit the high street once or twice per month.  When I find an appealing toy, I usually buy several of them to stock up the present cupboard at home.  As we are likely to attend up to 20 or more birthday parties annually, being organised with a supply of good toys on hand can take the pressure off.  I like to spend between £10 - £12 on each child’s birthday present, sometimes a little more if it’s an extra special friend of Matt’s.  It’s important to me that I find a toy that is a balance of something fun, but something useful and unusual as well.  I guess I like to be seen as a thoughtful and considerate present giver.  As a parent I know only too well how quickly the pile of plastic toys can pile up and they don’t last too long.  I discovered Intelex products earlier this year and my first purchase was a Pillow Heads® bear for 4 year old Reuben’s birthday.  I was delighted with the extra special, heart-felt thank-you received from his mother.  I have then gone on to buy the warmable Gromit™ for two boys, a  9 year old and a 5 year olds birthday, they were incredibly popular and I had other mums asking me where I bought them from.  The heatable Shaun the Sheep™ neck wrap was purchased for a little 5 year girl and apparently she won’t part with it.  My most recent purchases include the junior Bagpuss® and pink Hooty® owl for three five year old girl’s birthday parties coming up in November.  For Christmas I’ve got my eye on one of the Warmhearts® doll for my nieces and the Hot Pak® Body Range bottle and neck wrap for my mother in law. What I find appealing about the Intelex product range is that it’s so diverse; there are ideas here that will appeal to boys and girls of all ages, teenagers and the older generation as well.  Plus I just love the fact the products are warmable or dual purpose, they are not just a toy.  Let’s just say they have really put me on the map as a creative gift giver!”

Lakeland Report Sales of Pillowheads™ and Pure Bliss™ Selling Well.

With 60 stores nationwide, the home shopping pioneers Lakeland have been offering consumers an unrivalled collection of practical ideas for the home and garden for many years.  Their buyers and merchandisers seek out inspiring gifts and innovative products from all round the world, putting them through a rigorous selection and testing process to ensure they fit the retailers exacting standards.  

Merchandising manager Elspeth from Lakeland commented that Lakeland have always supported the heatable product category, and this year they have extended their range to include the popular Pillowheads™ Bumble Bee and the Pure Bliss™ sheep from the Intelex heatable toy portfolio.  The merchandising manager mentions that the products are selling well and went on to provide some insights into Lakelands Christmas selection on offer throughout their stores and their online ecommerce website.  Whilst Lakeland has always proudly featured a large Christmas range year after year, every year they continue to evolve their product offering  and are continually on the look-out for new and unique products that will appeal and inspire their target audience, who are mainly women shopping for gifts for either themselves, their friends, family and children.  The Intelex Pillowheads™ and Pure Bliss™ products, priced at £14.99 on the Lakeland online store, is an accessible price point making it good value as either a children’s gift or a stocking filler for Christmas. 

With many multi-tasking mums shopping constantly throughout the year for their children who are attending friend’s birthday parties, along with their own children’s birthday parties and the big event on the calendar; Christmas, prominent retailers like Lakeland who are hand-picking great products are acting like a personal shopping assistant of sorts, taking the hassle out of searching for the perfect Christmas gift by providing unique products and great gift ideas for busy mums.

If you’re interested in purchasing the Pillowheads™ or Pure Bliss™ products at trade prices to sell in your store or your retail website, please register for an Intelex trade account today at http://www.intelex.co.uk/customer/account/create/ 

Top Tips to Keep Winter Chills at Bay.

With autumn well under way and a chill in the air we are all starting to turn our attention to keeping warm.  With the recent announcement of the UKs rising gas and electricity prices, it's no surprise that consumers are seeking out ways to keep the heating costs down this year.  Here’s some top tips from the leading manufacturer of heatable products world-wide to keep the chills at bay. 

Take a freezing winter’s morning with the family getting ready for the school and work run.  To make the journey so much more pleasant and relaxing, gently warm a Hot Pak® Body Range neck wrap and a couple of Hot Paks® in the microwave for 90 seconds or so and slip them into your coat pockets and round your neck.  Enjoy a toasty, drive to work, no more fingers verging on frost bite after scraping the car window.  Arrive to your destination warm and relaxed and ready for the day ahead. 

It’s the end of a long hard day.  Aching feet from being on your feet all day or cramped in high heeled shoes.  Get home, warm some soup on the hob and pop some floral heatable boots from the Hot Pak® Body range into the microwave and gently warm them.  Inhale the soothing aroma of lavender that wafts from the treated millet inside your warmed boots.  With your soup on a tray and your legs up with your boots on, enjoy the blissful feeling of your feet enveloped in delicious warmth, easing away the pressures and stress of the day.  The ultimate treat for your feet. 

Bedtime approaches.  Reluctant to move from the warm spot on the sofa, knowing a cold bed awaits, as the heating is turned down low on the first floor to save money.  No more hassles of waiting for the kettle to boil and the treacherous filling of the hot water bottle.  Simply pop a Hot Pak® Body Range bottle (or two), filled with treated millet into the microwave for 90 seconds on low.   Slip the bottle into the bed and be greeted with a lovely warm bed companion for the night.  Be lulled to sleep with the gentle scent of lavender and the comforting warmth.  Delightful. 

Intelex's products offer a great solution to keeping warm in and out of the house.  Choose from warmable boots, neck wraps and bottles for bedtime from the delightful Hot Pak(r) Body range.  Whether it's to keep warm, ease aches and pains or a cuddly toy for the kids, the Intelex portfolio of warmable products has appeal for the whole family. 

Debenhams shelves filled with Cozy Plush™ and Hooty™

With Christmas fast approaching, many retailers have pre-ordered in their Christmas stocks to ensure their shelves are full to take advantage of early bird shoppers.  With 153 stores across the UK and Ireland and an online website, the retail giant Debenhams are offering its customers the hugely popular Cozy Plush™ range of soft toys, which have sold over 10m worldwide since its creation and Debenhams have recently introduced the new Hooty™ range of heatable owls, which have been particularly successful and stocked by the likes of New Look.

Intelex’s products have always been appreciated by retailers throughout the year as strong sellers, whether as a soft play toy for children or a heatable product that helps warms feet and beds and soothes muscular aches and pains.  However it’s really during the autumn and winter months and over the festive period that the Intelex product benefits shine and sell off the retailers’ shelves fast.   It’s the combination of the fact that the Intelex portfolio of products make great gifts.  Whether you’re searching for a gift for granny, the original Hot Pak® or Hot Pak® Body range which includes neck warmers, soft boots and bottles that are completely warmable in the microwave and designed with an attractive vintage floral design will make the perfect gift for elegant ladies.  If you’re searching for a gift that will be cherished by a child, there is an Aladdin’s cave of products in the Intelex stable.  From the backpack come Trolli™ to the wonderfully quirky Socky Dolls™ seriously good products that any child would love to receive at Christmas.

Like Debenhams, River Island and New Look to name a few popular high street retailers, to hordes of independent shops including garden centres, pharmacies and unique gift shops who are filling their festive shelves with Intelex products that deliver solid margins and come with the reassurance of being popular products that sell well in the colder months and at Christmas time.

To become an Intelex stockist, please register online at www.intelex.co.uk.  

Stay Cosy This Winter with Best Selling Cozy Plush™  

With the winter setting in far faster than we’d like here in the UK, the general public’s attention is turning to all things warm and cosy.  The heating cranked up, lots of warming casseroles, cosy boots and slippers, bonfire night and the Christmas festive season, the general population have many lovely things to look forward to with the change in seasons.   

The Cozy Plush™ range of products has been keeping children contented and warm since 2005.  The wonderful collection of fully microwavable plush toys has sold over 10 million since being launched and remains a firm favourite world-wide.  Gently heated in a microwave for two minutes, the Cozy Plush™ toy emits a wonderfully soothing lavender aroma for little ones to snuggle into and help lull them gently off to sleep.  Intelex see sales for Cozy Plush™ particularly strong at this period of the year as demand for warming products grows as the colder months set in.

To complement the original range of Cozy Plush™ products and cater to the growing demand for Cozy Plush™ style heatable products, Intelex have since gone on to create Cozy Plush™ Juniors, a range of smaller characters that come in their own individual packaging making them an ideal gift for all sorts of special occasions. 

To extend the category even further, Intelex went on to launch the Cozy Plush™ Premium range, retailing for £14.95, the larger relative to the original Cozy Plush™ with the extra luxury factor.  With four adorable characters to choose from, the premium range appeal to the same audience and cater to those extra special occasions.  

The reason for Cozy Plush’s™ enduring success lies in the quality and functionality of the products.  The attractive retail price points make the products an accessible purchase, leaving room for significant margins for retailers. 

Taking Christmas Pre-Orders Now. 

With Christmas less than 85 days away, retailers are no doubt turning their attention to their Christmas product ranges and festive window displays.   Intelex are encouraging their trade customers, if they haven’t already placed their orders for Christmas, to start doing so in the next few weeks, whilst there are good stock levels in the warehouses.  With the new product ranges like Socky Dolls™, Warmhearts® and Hooty™ predicted to be Christmas best-sellers, making sure they are on display in October will ensure retailers can take maximum advantage of the busy Christmas season as early as possible. 

It seems like Christmas is starting earlier each year. No sooner is autumn underway, then both high street and online retailers are starting to promote the festive season.  This seems to suit shoppers on a number of levels.  It allows consumers to make more considered purchases in the two to three months leading up to the 24^th December and takes the pressure off frantic shopping journeys fraught with chaotic car parking, till queues and out of stocks to contend with online.  Consumers are now becoming more conditioned to making Christmas purchases certainly from November and increasingly so from as early as October.  In order to take advantage of these ‘early bird’ Christmas shippers, retailers are getting their Christmas product selection out onto the shelves to start promoting the stock as early as possible to drive pull through. 

Intelex will be ready to replenish stock holdings of all key lines throughout the busy period.  Having an Intelex trade account makes it super-easy for retailers to go online and place orders for best-selling favourites like Cozy Plush™ and Bagpuss® warmable products to name just a few,  24/7 at their own convenience.  Delivery is free when you order over £150 online and orders are despatched the next day, meaning you can replenish your stock holdings frequently. 

If you’re looking for best-selling products, that are functional as well as fun, at trade prices that offer you great margins, the Intelex product portfolio has a superb line up of adult and children’s soft toys and warmable products that will fly off shelves this Christmas. 

Our Top Five Tips to Banish the Winter Blues.

With the chill in the air and shorter days setting in, many of us here in the UK don’t feel quite ready to embrace the British winter (especially yours truly…) but it’s approaching fast whether we like it or not.   Time to put away all the summer gear worn about twice this year and get out boots, wellies, coats, Intelex heatable products, gloves, ear muffs and hats and…wait a minute, did we say Intelex heatable products? Yes indeed, because if you’re smart this year, the easiest way to keep the chills at bay is to invest in a few things that will undoubtedly make your life more pleasant.  Here are the top five Intelex products to arm you against a bone chilling winter…

In at number five are the adorable Bagpuss® Boots, only £24.95 and completely warmable in the microwave.  Imagine coming home after a weary day at the office, settling down with a relaxing cup of tea and Downton Abby on catch-up, you’ve heated your puss in boots in the microwave and slip them on, its absolute bliss.  And every time you look down at your Bagpuss® boots, they will make you smile.  The feel good factor is both physical and emotional.

At number 4, the Hot Pak® Body Range Heat Wrap for £11.95. Now this is a fantastic product that looks stylish, with a vintage vibe and does a terrific job of relaxing any muscular aches and pains and easing neck tension after a hard day’s work hunched over a computer.  Pop it in the microwave for 90 seconds, apply to upper back and neck area and enjoy.  Also handy to pop into coat pockets on your way to work on frosty mornings.

Number 3, the fully microwavable Hot Pak® Bottle.  This is a winner and at £14.95 is a bargain.  Forget boiling the kettle and filling a hot water bottle, in less than two minutes this wonderful invention filled with treated millet and gently scented lavender is ready to warm beds.  It’s convenient, good looking and smells divine….I am feeling drowsy just thinking about it.

Our selection for number two is the Pure Bliss Cow Cushion.  Retailing for £19.95, with removable inner heat pack that will ensure your cushion is cosy and warm, we think this a wonderful product for propping up heads and soothing neck muscles whether it be on sofas, in cars and wherever your head might need some, well gentle propping up!

And finally in at number one, is something for you fun loving folks out there, the Shaun the Sheep® Neck Wrap! Yes, wrapping a sheep round your neck for a country walk is an unorthodox idea, but hear me out for why it makes sense.  One, you won’t scare off other sheep on your country walk, secondly, you cannot imagine how comforting, warm and stress busting Shaun will be draped around your neck.  Thirdly, you will be talked about by other walkers, long after you’ve walked by…maybe as a weirdo of sorts, but you’ve made an impact nonetheless.  Downsides, dogs might be tempted to check you out more than normal.  For £16.95, the fully microwavable Shaun the Sheep® is just the best.

So there you have it folks, with these 5 products, you can banish the winter blues!

Make Travel Easy With Trolli™

Kids love a holiday adventure and even more so if they have their own luggage which they can be in charge of.  Intelex’s unique new and innovative range of luggage for kids, Trolli™ will become an essential travel accessory for little people.  It’s durable and will stand the test of time.  The retractable handle means it converts easily into a fun backpack.  And with 6 adorable character designs to choose from, there will be a Trolli™ to suit even the fussiest of children.  

With Trolli™ being launched a little over a month ago, multi-national and independent retailers have been quick to place early orders and feedback has been overwhelmingly positive for the Trolli™ range.  The combination of cute soft toy as a piece of luggage has great appeal for kids, but what make Trolli™ stand out from other products available on the market is its ability to turn into a backpack.  If kids tire of wheeling the suitcase, they simply retract the handle and hey presto, their travel case becomes a backpack.  And vice versa, children can have fun changing their backpack into a case that can be wheeled along.  The novelty of Trolli™ will mean kids will never tire of their Trolli™ travel companion.  With a choice of plush toys including a cat, dog, hippo, frog, ladybird and monkey and retaining for only £19.95, the Trolli™ will make a great gift idea and a hugely useful accessory for all holidays at home and abroad.

With over 9 new ranges and 88 new products being launched in 2012, Intelex are intent on continuing to drive new innovations to grow the soft toy category.  The common thread linking all Intelex’s new product developments is the combination of super cute plush toys with Intelex’s ingenuity of making every product both functional and fun.  Whether it’s a heatable Hooty™ owl that is a child’s favourite soft toy that can also warm their beds, or a backpack that can become a suitcase on wheels, the differentiating factor that sets Intelex’s products apart lies in their usefulness and their ability to multi-task.   In this era of mass produced plastic toys, toys like Trolli™ are a breath of fresh air for parents all over the world. To find out more about the unique new Trolli™ range please visit the Trolli™ product pages.  

Warmhearts® Ragdolls Flying off Retailers’ Shelves.

Since bringing Warmhearts® to market, Intelex have seen a great deal of interest in their unique heatable Ragdolls from a wide range of multi-national stores, toy shops and independent retailers.  What sets Warmhearts® apart from other Ragdolls on the market is the innovative Intelex technology, making their products warmable in the microwave.  The Warmheart® range of three lovable characters, Candy, Ellie and Olivia each have an easily removable inner heat pack, that can be gently warmed in a microwave, releasing a subtle lavender scent, making the Intelex ragdoll that extra  bit special, providing warming cuddles for delighted little girls.

Joy, owner of her own independent retail store in Essex says…We are always on the look-out for novel and unusual toys and Warmhearts® is a great fit for our store’s collection.  It’s a charming looking doll with very pleasant features, the price point of £14.95 makes it accessible for people looking for gifts and it’s unique in that it can be heated.   It’s a lovely range, and they have been selling really well, particularly the Olivia doll.

Similarly, David, manager of a garden centre in Staffordshire says they have had a great reaction to the Warmheart® range in their garden centre gift shop.  The ability for Warmhearts® to appeal to shoppers in diverse retail outlets from pharmacies and garden-centres shows their wide-ranging appeal.  Indeed, enquiries for Warmhearts® go beyond their primary target audience of 4 to 10 year old girls.  Enquiries have come from doll collectors, who have a particular interest in collecting all manner of ragdolls.

If you’re interested in placing an order for Warmhearts® register for a trade account at Intelex. With a minimum order quantity of only £50 and carriage paid on orders over £150, becoming a trade customer of Intelex will give you access to Intelex’s rapidly growing range of best-selling products at trade prices that enable retailers terrific margins of 50% and more. To learn more about the Warmhearts® range, please visit the Warmhearts®product pages now.

Meet the Socky Dolls at Autumn Fair 2012 

Intelex are looking forward to showcasing their new range of unusual and captivating Socky Dolls™ to new and existing customers at this year’s International Autumn Fair at the Birmingham NEC from the 1^st to the 5^th September.  In a departure from their usual range of soft plush toys, the quirky Socky Dolls™ range have been created to appeal to older children. Made from 100% cotton sock material, the six characters in their colourful stripes and craft detailing has received a hugely positive response from retailers in the UK and the States and the range, retailing for only £11.95 is tipped to be one of this year’s hottest products for Christmas. 

What can visitors expect from the Intelex stand at this years’ Autumn Fair?  Darren Ingram, Sales Director of Intelex’s European operation based in Northamptonshire says, “We are hoping to make this years’ Autumn Fair our best show yet.  We will be showcasing old favourites like Cozy Plush™, alongside our newest creations, providing plenty of inspiration for retailers.  What’s great about these shows is our customers can come and view the ranges all at once, which makes an enormous difference in helping buyers make decisions.  There’s nothing quite like touching and feeling the products to gauge whether products are a good fit for your business.  We are hugely excited about this years’ Autumn Fair and we have a few surprises up our sleeve, which you will have to come along to see for yourselves!” 

Fashion Giant New Look Will Stock Intelex Hooty™ Range.

In a move that shows the breadth of appeal for Intelex’s heatable soft toy products, high street fashion retail giant ‘New Look’ will be stocking Intelex’s range of adorable heatable Hooty™ Owls from September 2012.  

The Intelex Group, creators of the original Hot Pak® in 1995, have since gone on to pioneer and grow the heatable product and toy category, introducing the incredibly successful Cozy Plush™ in 2005, which has gone on to sell over 10 million world-wide.  The launch of more recent innovative characters like Socky Dolls™, Warmheart® Ragdolls and Hooty™ in 2012 will not only be sold in the usual suspects, like department stores and toy and gift retailers, but the quirky characters combined with the fact they are heatable will see their distribution across pharmacies, garden centres and fashion retailers like River Island and New Look.  

Fashion retailers have set a great example of how to further the customer experience in store by bringing in novelty products to appeal to their target demographic that compliments their fashion collection.  From all manner of fashion accessories to photo frames, jewellery boxes and plush toys, such complimentary products, usually under £10 are enjoying success as impulse purchases at the till or grabbing the attention as a cute gift idea for friends birthdays and Christmas.  

Intelex’s range of Hooty™ owls have the unique combination of being bang on trend with fashionistas  snapping up owl related products as fast as they come to market, but they  are super cute as a soft toy in their own right.  However, when combined with the fact they are fully microwavable means their functionality as a hot water bottle replacement for example raises their appeal beyond being just a soft toy.  It is for these reasons why the likes of New Look think that Hooty™ are a great fit for their stores and their customers.

Find Hooty™ in New Look stores from September 2012.

UK Retailers Buy into Intelex’s Warmhearts® Ragdolls Range.

Rag dolls have always been a popular toy of choice of little girls.  A doll with a real old fashioned sense of tradition, tracking down a good one these days is not always easy.   The launch of the Warmhearts® range of heatable Ragdolls from the Intelex Group in 2012 has filled a niche in both the Ragdoll toy sector providing  a beautiful friendly doll that is already proving popular with many retailers, but has also expanded the heatable product  category, with an industry first; the heatable Rag doll.  The three characters Ellie, Candy and Olivia have their own easily removable inner heat pack that is gently scented with relaxing French Lavender.  The Warmhearts® range are unique and have a real point of difference to other Rag doll toys available on the market today and retailing at £14.95 make them outstanding value for money.

The Harrogate Home and Gift Show in July this year gave many retailers the opportunity to view the Warmhearts® range for the first time.  Feedback from buyers from departments stores like Fenwick’s and Bentalls along with independent retailers from sectors as diverse as gifting, gardening and pharmacies was really positive for the Warmhearts® range of Rag dolls.  Joe Scott from Occasions Gifts commented, “The combination of the size of the doll, the friendly features and the fact that they are dual purpose in their ability to be warmed is a real bonus.  At a retail price point of £14.95, I think they will absolutely fly off the shelves and will be one to watch as a best-seller this Christmas.”  

Mary Smith from Jades also says, “I think the Warmhearts® range is simply adorable.  Most Mums coming into my shop are looking for something a bit unique and are prepared to spend up to £15 on children’s birthday parties. Perfect gifts for little girls birthday parties. “

The Warmhearts® range is now available to order online at www.intelex.co.uk.  High street or online retailers wanting to open an account with Intelex, register online for a trade account today, simply go to www.intelex.co.uk and fill out the online registration form.  With a huge range of unique products available to buy at competitive trade prices that will give you attractive margins, minimum order values of £150 and free delivery on orders over £150, you can order 24/7 from the Intelex user friendly trade website, or call the Intelex team today on 01933 679 777.

Socky Dolls Predicted To Be A Christmas Best Seller at Harrogate Home And Gift Show 2012.

The Intelex Group team have returned back to their Northampton HQ inspired by the unanimously positive feedback from retailers for their new product ranges showcased at the Home and Gift Show at Harrogate last week.  The Home and Gift show allows suppliers to showcase their products and new innovations to their existing and potential new retail buyers, who are looking to source a wide range of gifts, home accessories, toys, jewellery, fashion accessories and much more.  With over 9 new ranges and 88 new products to share with retail customers, there was no shortage of new ideas and new products on the Intelex stand this year.

Darren Ingram, Sales Director at Intelex comments, “This year’s Harrogate show has been a very productive exhibition for us.  We’ve welcomed both new and existing customers to our stand and have been delighted with retailers’ response to our exciting new Socky Dolls™ range with many of them placing orders for the entire range of Socky Dolls™ which consists of 6 colourful characters.  Retailers have also shown a great deal of interest in our new Hooty™ range of fully heatable owls, with many buyers telling us Hootys is bang on trend and will be complimentary with other owl products they are stocking, from pencil cases to stationary and owl themed knick knacks.  New products aside, our flagship Cozy Plush™ range, having sold over 5 million worldwide since launching 5 years ago continues to feature strongly in retailer’s trade orders indicating demand for Cozy Plush™ continues.”

With the UK economy showing little growth in the second quarter of 2012, businesses like The Intelex Group are working hard to bring value and innovation into the retail sector in order to fuel growth.  Intelex have invested heavily in their new product development pipeline, launching a plethora of exciting new products, targeting varied segments of the market.  Take their new foray into the Ragdoll sector.  The new Warmhearts®
Ragdoll range consisting of three adorable Ragdoll characters offer consumers real value at a very accessible price point of £14.95, whilst offering retailers excellent margins of between 50-60%.   Remembering that all Intelex’s products are dual purpose, being both fun and functional, and a soft toy that also happens to be fully microwavable.

The Intelex team would like to thank their customers, new and old for visiting at this year’s Harrogate Home and Gift Show and for their on-going support and business.  Intelex are looking forward to continuing to bring exciting new products to market with attractive margins for their retail partners. 

Watch out for Socky Dolls in River Island!

The Intelex Group are delighted to announce that prominent high street fashion retailer River Island will be stocking Socky Dolls™ throughout their UK stores this summer 2012.  Consumers will be able to buy the red and white striped Bunty the Bunny and Black and white striped Bandito at selected River island stores from August 2012.

Darren Ingram, Sales Director at Intelex has commented…”We are thrilled that fashion retailers like River Island have been so positive about our latest new innovation, the Socky Dolls™.  It gives an indication that the quirky range of colourful characters we have created will have far wider appeal beyond just young children.  River Island has indicated the product is a great fit for their customers.  We have also experienced success with our heatable Bagpuss® Plush products in Topshop during 2011.  Whilst the Socky Dolls™ offer a great alternative to the traditional hot water bottle, their appeal as an unusual soft toy made from sock material will capture the hearts and minds of youngsters around the world.”

With the general public demand for the quirky and unusual; take the Angry Birds and Ugly Dolls phenomena for example, the appetite for weird and wacky characters is not diminishing.  Where Socky Dolls™ is truly unique lies in the fact they are fully microwavable, making them both functional and useful in households.  Their link to actual socks is evident, being made from 100% cotton sock material and the use of colourful stripy fabrics capitalises on the public’s desire for socks with personality.

Intelex have created a series of animated videos that can be seen at www.sockydolls.com that bring to life a fanciful world where your lost socks go to live.  The 6 characters created so far each have their own unique and distinct personalities, just like the Spice girls in their heyday, there is something for everyone.  Intelex are planning to roll-out more characters during 2013.  The Socky Dolls™ range presents a great opportunity for retailers to capitalise on the growing trend for heatable toys, toys that are both fun and functional with wide appeal across all ages and genders.

With Socky Dolls™, the new product development team at Intelex have created something quite special and very different to their products created to date .With interest being shown from large multi-national retailers in both the US and the UK and fashion retailers like River Island placing orders now, don’t delay placing your pre-order for the fabulous Socky Dolls™ today.  

Warming little Ragdolls.

The creative design team at Northamptonshire based Intelex Group have created another industry first with the launch in 2012 of their innovative range of heatable Ragdolls.  The Warmhearts® range includes three adorable characters, with each character having its own easily removable inner heat pack filled with organic wheat and gently scented with relaxing French lavender.  The combination of a traditional Ragdoll and heatable pack make this product endlessly appealing for little girls the world-over. 

Darren Ingram, Sales Director at Intelex says, “We unveiled our Warmhearts® Ragdoll range for the very first time at this year’s Spring Fair and the feedback received from our trade customers was unanimous.  They loved the fact a heatable Ragdoll is a completely new concept and were very complimentary regarding our new product development.  We see this product being sold widely in many different retail channels; from garden centres, pharmacies, travel retail, boutiques, fashion retailers, toy shops and department stores.  The opportunities for gifting is endless and from the feedback we have had indicate the traditional Ragdoll concept combined with a very accessible price point of £14.95 is going to be very well received by consumers buying for grand-daughters, daughters, god-children and for children’s birthday parties, to name just a few.”

The Warmhearts® Ragdoll range includes the three delightful characters of Candy, Ellie and Olivia. Each doll features its own unique hair colour and dress pattern.  Intelex have created a unique heat-pack that can be removed and gently heated in the microwave and placed back inside the Ragdoll.  This is a novel way of making this particular product heatable and is a new innovation to Intelex’s usual way of creating fully microwavable toys. 

When it comes to New Product Development, Intelex’s proactivity to develop new innovations and commercialise them during tough economic times is refreshing and inspiring.  With 9 new ranges and over 88 new products being launched in 2012 alone, Intelex are creating new opportunities to drive growth for retailers.  

Intelex launches new floral Hot Pak® Body Range.

The new product development team at the Intelex Group have been hard at work creating fabulous and innovative new products that are being launched during 2012 and this new stylish Hot Pak® Body Range is no exception to the quality of products being launched this year.

Intelex have returned to where it all started with the original Hot Pak® range, launched in 1995 and was the first ever fully microwavable heat pack to be sold in Europe and was an immediate success, popular with consumers to relieve everyday aches and pains and loved by retailers for their ability to sell through fast.

The new Hot Pak® Body range have extended the original idea of the Hot Pak® and created a luxurious and stylish range of boots, slippers, bottles and packs in a beautiful floral fabric to appeal to women and capitalise on the vintage trend that is very popular in the UK at present.  Each item is fully heatable in a microwave.  The organic wheat filling is gently scented with lavender and when warmed, provides a totally relaxing experience for the senses.

The Hot Pak® Body range is targeted for women aged 25 and above and with the Hot Pak® Slippers retailing from £16.95 makes it a very accessible price point when considering purchasing a gift for Mums, Nans, wives or girlfriends.

The products are available to buy in three classic colours of pink, green and blue.  With many fashion trends coming and going, it seems the floral, vintage theme is here to stay and has proven to be hugely popular with women all over the world, as it’s a classic style that never seems to go out of fashion.

With Intelex continuing to create appealing new innovations that are extending the heatable product category into new genres, the new Hot Pak® Body Range will be a welcome addition to retailers’ shelves, including pharmacies, garden centres, independent retailers, department stores and gift shops.

The Hot Pak® Body Range is available to pre-order from Intelex now.  

Intelex gears up to launch the new Socky Dolls™ worldwide this Summer.

With the launch of Socky Dolls™ fast approaching, Intelex have been busy preparing for a world-wide launch of the new and exciting Socky Dolls™ characters.   Some prominent retailers in the UK and US have had a sneak preview of the product and the feedback has been unanimous.  Fun, quirky, functional and with instant appeal, the opinion was Socky Dolls™ will be a most popular and welcome addition to the toy shelves, with the added edge of each Socky Doll being heatable, elevating the product to the unique status of being both a soft toy that has the added bonus of providing warmth and comfort.

A Socky Doll is on average slightly heavier than most comparable soft toys, due to the organic millet that is contained within the double layer of 100% real cotton sock material.  When gently warmed in a microwave for 90 seconds, the organic millet emits a subtle and calming aroma of lavender.  We imagine Socky Dolls™ being used in place of hot-water bottles in children’s beds, or to be smuggled under little coats on the school run on a chilly morning.  Functional uses aside, the Socky Doll characters are striking and impactful, because they are so unusual.  Made from striped cotton sock material, with lovely craft elements including felt eyes and stitching detail, each Socky Doll is unique in both appearance and personality and the quirky characters lend themselves to become collectable items.

To gain a sneak preview of the Socky Dolls™ in action, please visit www.sockydolls.com where you can see the characters up close and personal and view an animated video, which provides a hint into Intelex’s plans for rolling out the Socky Dolls™ brand worldwide.  The recommended retail price will look to capture a price point of £11.95 in the UK, which makes the Socky Dolls competitively priced and very accessible for the gifting opportunity.   The children’s birthday gift market in the UK alone is absolutely huge with parents spending on average between £8-£15 on children’s birthday party presents and attending between 5-10 birthday parties annually.  What is great about giving a gift like a Socky Doll to a child, is that its gender neutral and would have equal appeal for both boys and girls, the functional aspect of it being a heatable product gives it multi-purpose and the fact that it’s just something unusual and different from the usual plastic toy.  Just three good reasons why many retailers, from large multinationals, to niche independents and online stores will want to stock Socky Dolls™ this year!

Get Ready For Socky Dolls™…

The Intelex Group are on the brink of launching something rather new and exciting and quite a departure from their range of plush toys and heatable products.  Intelex are no strangers to pioneering new ideas in the heatable category and soft toy product range.  From licensing deals that have extended the popular characters of Bagpuss®, Gromit™ and Shaun the Sheep™ into the heatable toy category, their new Warmheart® heatable rag doll collection, to the unique and new Trolli™ luggage for kids that converts into a handy backpack.  Intelex’s new products have been welcomed by retailers round the world and consumer demand continues to grow for the heatable toy category, where Intelex are viewed as the most trusted and credible manufacturer of such products.

With 88 new products and 12 new ranges due to be launched by Intelex during 2012 alone, there is one particular product range which seems to have captured the attention of large US retailers, who are predicting Intelex’s new Socky Dolls™ range will be widely embraced by consumers.  The combination of quirky, novelty characters merged with the distinctive sock detailing; with the added dimension of the product being completely heatable is a recipe for success. 

The range includes 6 distinct characters, all created from real sock material, with familiar sock elements including the colourful striped patterns and craft-led design features such as felt eyes and stitching details. The founder of the Intelex business, Philip Gannon discovered the idea for Socky Dolls™, after observing the fact that sock design have gone far beyond pure functionality.  People have an enormous choice of colourful designs to choose from and socks enable the wearer to portray their personality through an ever so subtle hint of something bright and colourful beneath their trousers.  

This observation combined with the fact that the public’s demand continues for unusual novelty characters led to the conception of Socky Dolls™.  So just who will Socky Dolls™ appeal to?  Intelex believe that Socky Dolls™ is not just for the younger children’s market.  The quirky characters and heatable element will elevate Socky Dolls™ beyond just younger children, appealing to teenagers and young adults and the opportunity for gifting will be huge.

The six individual characters will be available for sale from August 2012, with 3 new characters to be launched every 3 months in 2013. To learn more about Socky Dolls™, please visit www.sockydolls.com or our Facebook page at www.facebook/sockydolls.com.

Shaun The Sheep™ Gets An Intelex Makeover!

Those clever people at Aardman really know how to create a lovable, enduring character. From a stable of amazing characters, Shaun the Sheep™ is a relative newcomer, but a stellar performer since hitting our screens in 2007.    Reminiscent of the classic silent comedy genre, with a few simple bleats, sighs and grunts, the animated character of Shaun the Sheep has held the attention throughout 80 episodes for millions of viewers in 180 countries round the world.  The theme of no spoken dialogue is a popular one and increasingly so with shows like Timmy Time, Pingu and the older characters like Morph and Mr Bean, which are still firm favourites in the 21^st century.

The popularity of Shaun the Sheep™ with kids and adults alike comes from the characters creativity, human intelligence and the great comedy value applied in that unique Aardman style that creates a consistent theme of funny escapades from Bitzer the sheepdog and the Farmer.  Like all popular Aardman characters, the ability for the characters to be extended into all manner of saleable merchandise has not been missed with Shaun the Sheep™.  From DVDs, mini plush collectables to magnetic bookmarks and figurines and even Nintendo 3DS, retailers appetite for Aardman characters continues strongly.  

The fact that Aarman carefully controls the licensing of its products to selected suppliers who will uphold the creative values of their brands means that the quality of Aardman’s licensed products to buy on the high street and online today is of a high standard.  One such successful partnership is that created in 2011 between Aardman Rights and the Intelex Group, creators of the original Hot Pak™.  Intelex have pioneered and continue to lead the heatable product genre, providing all manner of warm able products and successfully extending the heat pack idea into beautiful soft toys, from Warmheart® Ragdoll collection, to Pillowheads™ and the more recent venture into the characters of Shaun the Sheep™ and Wallace and Gromit™, and the products are expected to fly off the shelves with major and independent retailers round the world in 2012.

The unique organic wheat bags, gently scented with lavender is enclosed in the soft toy and can be removed to be heated independently, or indeed the whole toy can be gently heated for 1-2 minutes in your microwave, transforming your Shaun the Sheep™ into a toy with the extra comfort factor providing delightful warmth on a chilly evening when snuggling into bed.  Intelex’s reputation for its impeccable safety standards has paved the way for consumers and retailers to be reassured the heatable aspect of Intelex’s products adheres to the highest possible safety specifications.

Shaun the Sheep™ Plush is retailing for £14.95 and Shaun the Sheep™ Neck Wrap will retail for £16.95.  Find the products at all good retailers or online at www.intelex.co.uk

Hootys™ are here!

The new Hooty™, the latest fully microwavable soft toy launched from the Intelex portfolio of heatable toys looks set to be a firm favourite with both retailers and of course the young children the toy has been created for.  The Hooty™ Owl, available in attractive colours and fully microwavable with the lavender scented organic wheat bags has brilliant appeal for children’s birthday party gifts, stocking fillers and for kids who just love something warm and cute to cuddle.

For generations, children have selected a favourite toy, usually from a very young age that is kept close at hand for comfort, and often into their early teenage years this soft toy features as a significant part of their lives.  The children’s comfort toy if lost can pose a period of panic for some parents, as their child is liable to fret and not able to sleep well without it.  Clever parents stock up on several of the cherished toys, should one go amiss.

The new Hooty™ is showing early signs of becoming popular with retailers who have supported the Intelex heatable range in the past and in response to retailers and consumers demands have created some new heatable toys with character and excitement.  The combination of the attractive and colourful range of furry owls has the added bonus of the toy being able to be heated in the microwave for extra warm cuddles for children on a cold winter’s night on a chilly morning on the school run.

The creative new collection comes in a variety of different styles and fabrics and with the owl being popularised in such famous books and movies like the Gruffalo franchise makes the nocturnal owl a perfect bedtime companion.

Whilst Hooty™ will obviously appeal to youngsters, it can also be a useful purchase for mums and dads who might be in need of a quick burst of warmth to soothe aches and pains, or to de-stress after a long day.  The Hooty™ heat pack can be removed and microwaved and applied to the area in need of some warmth, a great muscle relaxer.   Feet, backs and necks can feel relaxed and rejuvenated once Hooty’s Hot Pak™ has spread its warmth.  A Hooty™ in the hand is worth two in the bush!

Soon to be available in all good retailers, at £9.95, look out for a Hooty™ in a store near you.

Save on Heating Costs with Microwavable Products.

With the arrival of longer days and lighter mornings, Spring is definitely in the air and the nation are looking ahead positively to the summer, with the prospect of sunny days and long evenings.  With the rise in commodities and heating costs in the UK, the warmer summer months are an opportunity for us to turn the heating off until October to save some money.  However, with the great British summer unreliable at the best of times, the prospect of chilly evenings at home without the heating on can leave us with dampened spirits and cold extremities. However, never fear, because there is a cost effective solution to keeping warm on a chilly summer evening without the need to crank up the radiators – and it’s microwavable, warming products that are guaranteed to put a smile on our face.

For centuries, before dwellings could enjoy modern day heating, humans have searched for ways to keep warm at night, rudimentary objects heated over fire and placed in beds, which gave way to the rubber hot water bottle, and onto electric blankets.  Now in the 21^st century, the microwave has opened up opportunities for products to be heated rapidly to be deployed for humans comfort, whether that be a warming neck wrap to soothe tired and stressed neck muscles or a pair of soft Cozy slippers which after a minute or two in the microwave will envelope your aching feet with delicious, soothing warmth.  Products like this can be a great resource to use during the warmer months to take the edge of a chilly summers evening, preventing you from reaching to switch the heaters on, instead within minutes you can enjoy your favourite show on TV, warmed up with a pair of microwavable Cozy Boots™. It’s a most relaxing and comforting sensation.

The original microwavable Hot Pak™ was pioneered by the Intelex Group who have invested much time and energy into ensuring the safety of such microwavable products exceed the usual regulations, which has provided reassurance for both retailers and consumers and enabled the creation of an entire genre of warmable items, with useful products for adults and extending the idea into adorably soft, plush toys for children.

One particular innovation created by the Intelex Group, which has built on the popular phenomenon, so loved by the great British public is the Furry Warmers Bottle™ that looks similar to a traditional hot water bottle, but the key difference is in the replacement of rubber for fur, allowing it to be fully microwavable.  This innovation completely eradicates the risk of being scalded by hot water, it is quick and much safer to use and is particularly suited for the older generation. So keep the heating off until October, invest in a few of Intelex’s terrific products for you and the family and prepare to relax with a boost of warmth on those chilly summer evenings. 

Make Gift Giving Easy

Despite the enormous amount of retailers and online stores offering a huge selection of products, it appears buying gifts for friends and loved ones, whether it be for birthdays or special festive occasions, continues to become more difficult, in our quest to find that wow-factor gift with ultimate appeal that will knock the socks off the recipient, making the giver appear generous, knowing and clever. 

Combined with the fact in the 21^st century, we are the ‘have it now’ generation, we buy what we want, when we like, making gift giving all the more a complex task…it’s likely they may already have that CD or recipe book or latest toy.  So when you come across a range of gifts that combine uniqueness with usefulness, you know you’re onto a winner and it can become the trusted gift giving formula you can replicate time and time again.  

Take for example the Intelex Group.  The team at Intelex, created the Hot Pak®, a nifty little bag, filled with scented, organic wheat that gently heats up in the microwave to provide a soothing application of heat to tired and aching muscles.    Since then, Intelex have gone on to extend the Hot Pak® idea across toys, pillows, boots, slippers and neck wraps, with appeal spanning the generations.  

Take for example my friend Alison, who recently purchased two heatable Bagpuss toys from the Intelex range.  One Bagpuss® product was for her 40 year old friend, in hospital recovering from an operation and she knew that Bagpuss® would cheer her up enormously and be forever useful when warmed up in the microwave on a chilly evening.  The second Bagpuss toy was for her god-daughters 5^th birthday.  Needless to say the little girl simply adores her warmable Bagpuss and it’s become a firm favourite.

Indeed, the Pillowheads™ cushion range from Intelex’s portfolio of non-microwavable products has proven to be a popular gift idea for children’s birthday’s and are gifts that parents clearly endorse over the usual plethora of plastic and battery eating toys given at children’s birthday parties.

The new Trolli™ range of products, one of the latest additions to the Intelex stable looks set to become a best-seller if retailer’s pre-orders are any indication. The manufacturer has applied the same high quality finish to create an adorable range of backpacks and suitcases that young children will simply love to use every day and on holiday.

If you’re forever running to the shops and spending hours trying to find creative and fun gifts for friends and kids birthdays, save yourself time and money by seeking out Intelex’s heatable toys and products online at www.intelex.co.uk or find your nearest high street retailer stocking your favourite heatable product.

Everyone needs a bit of Bagpuss in their lives

Since the introduction of Bagpuss® in the 1974 UK children’s television series, where only 13 episodes were made, the Bagpuss character is fondly remembered and seems to be more popular than ever.  What is it about the furry pink and white saggy cloth cat that seems to have captured the hearts and minds of generations young and old?  The British public seem to hanker after the nostalgic and simple values that series like Bagpuss embodied.  And given the fast paced, highly technological world we are living in, 21^st century children being exposed to these good old fashioned values is no bad thing.  Adults who fondly remember the television programs and characters that were part of their childhood are able to bring these to life for their own children, with the brilliant Bagpuss toys and memorabilia available to buy on the high street and online.  From Bagpuss stationary, to car window stickers and Bagpuss® cuddly heatable toys to keep your warm, the Bagpuss character is available in all manner of products.

However, the range of Bagpuss® products appeal extends far beyond just children.  With adult Bagpuss® fancy dress costumes available to buy online, and innovative Bagpuss® microwavable slippers and Bagpuss® toys featuring as prominent sellers on Valentine’s Day, it shows that adults too love nothing more than a comforting, lovable Bagpuss® character in their lives.   Further evidence of older children and adults demand for Bagpuss® is indicated in sales of the retro toy through popular high street chains like Topshop.  The Intelex Group report that sales of their heatable Bagpuss® products piloted in the fashion retailers flagship store in Oxford Street literally flew off the shelves, with a full rollout in progress across the chain.  Reviews from customers have been glowing with an average rating of five stars; “Just as a teddy on its own it is so cute! But a hottie as well... I love it!”

With innovators like the Intelex Group continuing to push forward demand by combining its unique Hot pak® technology with the lovable Bagpuss® character, has helped increase the appeal to a wider audience.  Where some adults wouldn’t go so far as to buy a toy, they would certainly be more interested in wearable items like Bagpuss boots, that can be warmed in a microwave to soothe tired feet or a warming neck wrap to ease away the stresses of the day. For the gifting market, such novelties can make lovely presents as well as being useful, whether it be for children’s birthday parties or a fun gift for a good friend.  Whatever the occasion, an adorable Bagpuss® nearby to provide warmth and cheer will always be welcome!

Intelex signs licensing deal with Aardman

The Intelex group, creators of the original microwavable Hot Pak® are delighted to announce the recent licensing deal with Aardman, giving Intelex the unique opportunity to combine their revolutionary microwavable heat packs with the hugely popular characters like Wallace & Gromit ™ and Shaun the Sheep™. 

The two organisations reached agreement in the last quarter of 2011 and the venture represents a significant opportunity for many retailers, who will be familiar with the demand and popularity of both Intelex and Aardman’s portfolio of products.  The merger of Aardman’s brands and Intelex’s unique technology will no doubt expand the microwavable heat pack category, providing consumers with more choice and an excellent business opportunity for retailers.

Bristol based, Aardman Animations Ltd is one of the most famous animation companies world-wide, most well-known for creating films using stop motion clay animation, particularly those featuring the famous plasticine characters like Morph™ and the hugely popular Wallace and Gromit™.  Their stable of famous, much loved characters are now house-hold names and the Aardman business has evolved to enter the computer animation industry with the launch of the successful movie ‘Flushed Away’ in 2006.  Aardman is as much in the licensing industry as they are in animation business, forming powerful partnerships with suitable organisations through licensing agreements in order to extend their brands into innovative and lucrative new areas. 

The founder of the Northamptonshire based Intelex Group, Philip Gannon says, ‘We are very pleased to have signed a licensing agreement with Aardman.  We are fortunate to be able to work with such great brands and our intention is to create fantastic new retail products, combining the familiar characters with our organically filled heat packs.’  

The combination of Aardman’s characters and Intelex microwavable soft toys presents retailers with great growth opportunities.  Intelex’s products, originally designed to relieve everyday aches and pains, have proven retail appeal, satisfying millions of consumers worldwide. The growth in stockists across the UK alone, including the retail giants of Next, WHSmith, Amazon, Fenwicks and Sainsburys  suggests  that the best-selling Intelex brands like Cozy Plush™, Beddy Bear® and Dusty Pups™ are saleable across multiple retail platforms and offer fantastic gifting opportunities all year round.

Fully Microwavable Bagpuss® from Intelex Ltd

Pillow Heads™ – The Soft Toy that turns into a Pillow!